View Full Version : US soccer team in FIFA finals after upset
WTFchris 06-24-2009, 05:22 PM Altidore's goal leads U.S. to stunning upset
Updated: June 24, 2009, 3:00 AM ET
BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa (AP) -- The United States stunned top-ranked Spain 2-0 Wednesday night on goals by Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey, advancing to the Confederations Cup final with one of the Americans' biggest soccer victories.
Altidore scored in the 27th minute and Dempsey added a goal in the 74th as the Americans became the first team to defeat Spain since Romania in November 2006.
The chances of such a U.S. victory seemed slim just a few days ago. The 14th-ranked Americans lost their first two games in the Confederations Cup, an eight-nation World Cup warmup, and were on the verge of elimination.
Now they will play defending champion Brazil or host South Africa on Sunday in their first-ever men's final at a FIFA competition.
"It's exciting, a great team effort. To beat an amazing team like Spain and make the final. It's big," U.S. coach Bob Bradley said. "We played as hard as we could and that's what it took. Every guy contributed, so it's a very good feeling."
The U.S. has three full days to prepare for the final."We take a few hours to regroup, but we'll be ready," Bradley said. "We're so excited about this."
Spain, the European champion, had set an international record with 15 straight victories and had tied Brazil's record unbeaten streak of 35 games from December 1993 to January 1996.
WTFchris 06-24-2009, 05:23 PM This will catapult soccer to great popularity in the US
darkobetterthanmelo 06-24-2009, 06:35 PM Fuck yeah motherfuckers! Down goes that piece of shit Torres!
Wilfredo Ledezma 06-24-2009, 06:37 PM This will catapult soccer to great popularity in the US
I think after today, I'll put soccer ahead of the LPGA.
Wilfredo Ledezma 06-24-2009, 06:38 PM Italy still reigns!
World Cup > this shit
kdawg32086 06-24-2009, 08:01 PM Italy still reigns!
World Cup > this shit
The same Italy that didn't even make it out of the first round of this tournament?
Timone 06-24-2009, 08:05 PM The same Italy that's shaped like a boot.
I think you know what I'm getting at here.
Tahoe 06-24-2009, 08:08 PM I think thats the same Italy...but I'm not sure.
Glenn 06-24-2009, 08:36 PM s;dr
MoTown 06-24-2009, 09:37 PM It's only soccer in the United States. The rest of the world calls it football. [/english accent]
darkobetterthanmelo 06-24-2009, 10:48 PM Italy sucks. Spain is actually really good, they are the number one team in the world, but the US was able to deny torres and David villa any good chances
Villa had a couple decent chances.
Spain was undefeated for like 2 years or something, that's how good they are.
Villa had a couple decent chances.
Spain was undefeated for like 2 years or something, that's how good they were.
Fixed.
Darth Thanatos 06-25-2009, 12:24 AM LOL@soccer
Vinny 06-25-2009, 04:03 AM LOL@soccer
POTY Candidate.
MoTown 06-25-2009, 08:20 AM I'm surprised Detroit Export hasn't posted in this thread yet. He actually is a soccer fan, iirc.
Tahoe 06-28-2009, 02:07 PM Just warming up my fingers, getting ready to type Goala goala goala goala goala goala goala goala goala goala goalagoala goala goala goala goalagoala goala goala goala goalagoala goala goala goala goalagoala goala goala goala goalagoala goala goala goala goalagoala goala goala goala goalagoala goala goala goala goalagoala goala goala goala goalagoala goala goala goala goalagoala goala goala goala goalagoala goala goala goala goalagoala goala goala goala goalagoala goala goala goala goalagoala goala goala goala goalagoala goala goala goala goalagoala goala goala goala goalagoala goala goala goala goalagoala goala goala goala goalagoala goala goala goala goalagoala goala goala goala goalagoala goala goala goala goala all day
Tahoe 06-28-2009, 02:41 PM That CaCa dude for Brazil is smooth.
Tahoe 06-28-2009, 02:41 PM goal goal goal goalgoal goalgoal goalgoal goalgoal goalgoal goalgoal goalgoal goalgoal goalgoal goalgoal goalgoal goalgoal goalgoal goalgoal goalgoal goalgoal goalgoal goalgoal goalgoal goalgoal goalgoal goalgoal goalgoal goalgoal goalgoal goalgoal goalgoal goalgoal goal
1-0 USA!
Tahoe 06-28-2009, 02:46 PM CaCa is just nutty.
Tahoe 06-28-2009, 02:58 PM Goallalalalaolaolagoalgoaalgolgoalgoalgoalgoalgoal goalgo
\\\ (http://www.wtfdetroit.com/forums/)
2-0 USA!
Wow. I don't really care though.
Tahoe 06-28-2009, 03:06 PM ^ Why cuz the USA is winning?
Tahoe 06-28-2009, 03:49 PM CaCa was close
Still 2-1 USA!
Tahoe 06-28-2009, 07:33 PM USA loses...and libs everywhere rejoice. jfrigginkiddingeesh
I'm surprised Detroit Export hasn't posted in this thread yet. He actually is a soccer fan, iirc.
I enjoy watching soccer (European and International) but I didn't see the thread at first and then I just figured no one would be too interested to really talk about the games.
Had they won today (and they could, maybe even, should have) it would have been one of the greatest two game upset runs in US sports. They would have taken down the top two teams in the world.
FWIW the US could have actually learned a few things from these last two games (in my opinion of course). They actually learned to pressure higher up and force the other teams to react and not do whatever the hell they wanted to do with the ball. When they got a away from that they let Brazil take control. They also learned that you have to move the ball fast to get behind the other team; that was some of the best, most direct ball movement I've even seen from the US. And Landon Donovan is not a striker (how long did it take the US to learn that lesson?), his position is between the forwards and midfield. Too high up he's useless. Where the coach had him play today he was amazing.
Glenn 06-29-2009, 08:20 AM s;dc;dw
darkobetterthanmelo 06-29-2009, 09:11 AM I enjoy watching soccer (European and International) but I didn't see the thread at first and then I just figured no one would be too interested to really talk about the games.
Had they won today (and they could, maybe even, should have) it would have been one of the greatest two game upset runs in US sports. They would have taken down the top two teams in the world.
FWIW the US could have actually learned a few things from these last two games (in my opinion of course). They actually learned to pressure higher up and force the other teams to react and not do whatever the hell they wanted to do with the ball. When they got a away from that they let Brazil take control. They also learned that you have to move the ball fast to get behind the other team; that was some of the best, most direct ball movement I've even seen from the US. And Landon Donovan is not a striker (how long did it take the US to learn that lesson?), his position is between the forwards and midfield. Too high up he's useless. Where the coach had him play today he was amazing.
I agree, the U.S. needs someone else like Donovan to compete though. Donovan is excellent at running with the ball with speed and excellent passing. IT appeared a couple of times yesterday that guys were wide open on runs and they couldn't deliver the ball (Clark).
I couldn't agree more. There were at least 3 times in the second half where if the US player had been able to control his pass well and quick pass or just one touch it to a streaking player, they would have had an open shot on goal or have completely broken Brazil's D. That's the technique part where the US is still lacking compared to so many other countries. But it nice to see that they're at least moving the ball and running to fill space like that. So often it was just one dude walking the ball up and trying to figure out what the hell to do with it.
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